Datebook: If you’re attending “immersive theater,” you could be in store for some mild fourth-wall breaking, themed cocktails and an invitation to come in costume. Or it could mean a haunted house setup with a performer pulling you into a confession booth to dissect your life secrets. Or anything in between. Producers throw the label on any theater that goes beyond the idea of sitting quietly and anonymously in front of a hermetically sealed proscenium stage.
5 comments:
I’ve said before and I’ll say it again: immersive entertainment is my favorite kind of entertainment. I love theatre that is experimental and tries new techniques to enhance the audience experience. First of all, I love the idea of inviting the audience to dress in all white. It makes the audience immediately feel like a part of the all-white set. As they walk in the Opera, they hear an immersive soundscape, which I think is incredibly important to the immersive experience. We use our sense of hearing to detect what is around us and what environment we’re in, so creating a soundscape can trick our ears and our brain into thinking we’re actually in the setting of the opera and not sitting in an audience. The way the designers took the story of 3 men climbing Mount Everest elevated it so much is really admirable and I’d love to check out more of their work.
I would love to work for an experience like Everest. Immersive theatre has always interested me as I always got excited putting on shows that had some interaction with guests whether that be guiessing the murrder in a poll during intermission or watching people get pulled from the crowd by an actor as an Act 2 warm up. An immersive opera such as Parallele’s sounds so cool to work on because you’re working design not just something to experience visually but in many other ways with multiple art forms from animation to sensory effects like smells. I think immersive theatre especially for something like opera would be a good way to get people who may not take themselves for opera-goers to have an interaction with the scores and stories in a way that is not quote on quote boring, but rather engaging and a little bizarre. I hope this form of theatre continues to grow and one day I can be a part of it.
This type of performance sounds incredible and engaging. I feel as though there would be an entire other level of connection to these stories that are told. This opera specifically sounds interesting, specifically the entrance description. I also loved the idea of asking the audience members to wear a specific color, or to even ask the audience members to wear a provided piece – I wonder if they have/will receive pushback from anyone about that. But the idea being that the audience members somehow become a part of the scenery… I had never even thought of that. This is a production that I would really like to see in person and get a chance to be a part of. I think that getting the chance to be on the creative team for a show like this sounds like an opportunity that I’ve ever had, and I wonder about some/any of the challenges that arise when doing this type of show vs a “traditional” production.
I find immersive theater to be the best kind of theater/art. When you bring art into the world and you make it immersive, it brings the audience to a new level. I really would like to see Everest. At some point I find it so amazing. The fact that they have the audience in costume I think is incredibly smart. When you bring an immersive experience into art the audience travels with you and it’s just another level of going deeper into what you’re trying to express to the audience. When shows break the fourth wall and include the audience it always helps the understanding of the show and the aesthetic. Having themed drinks for this show also helps with the aesthetic. It brings the audience into what the vibe of the show will be. Having immersive art helps the understanding of the central concept of the writer/director.
This sounds like a really interesting show. It’s funny how we always hear the phrase “immersive theater” thrown around, but never “immersive opera”. The design of the physical environment is fascinating; I was blown away when I realized the ponchos were there to make the audience sort of blend in with the set. I found myself wondering if this immersive opera was immersive enough to consider the temperature of the room, which wasn’t mentioned in the article. It’s not something that we ever have control over in a traditional theater, but it would be incredible if they were able to make the audience members feel cold during the show. The description of the sound design almost gave me chills. By far and away, if I were to see Everest, the sound design would be what I would look forward to most. I would love to see this show, and I hope immersive opera gains traction and we can see more shows like this being produced.
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